Spanish Flair: FC Barcelona Signs Five-Year Deal With SUM
By Tripp Mickle, Staff Writer, SportsBusiness Journal
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MLS Commissioner Don Garber (2nd from l) On
Hand To Announce FC Barcelona-SUM Deal |
La Liga's FC Barcelona announced that SUM will be its agency of record in the U.S. following a five-year agreement signed today. The deal will see the Spanish club play six int'l games over the term and gives SUM management of all commercial and sponsorship sales on behalf of the club. Sources said FC Barcelona will play games in Chicago and N.Y. this summer as part of its "On Tour '08: More than a Club" series. The club averaged 80,734 spectators for three matches in its last U.S. tour in '06. The deal adds another asset -- what MLS Commissioner Don Garber called the first "super club" -- to the SUM portfolio, which includes MLS, U.S. Soccer and the Mexican national team. Garber: "It's an interesting statement about our view of the sport that we're interested in building the Barca brand, one that could be in time a competitor of the L.A. Galaxy. But that's not our view. Our view is that if we can grow the soccer market then we'll be fine." The agreement also gives FC Barcelona the chance to tap into the U.S. market and expand its brand. FC Barcelona Vice Chair Ferran Soriano: "The U.S. is a fantastic market for soccer. It's huge and it's growing. Now we're convinced that whatever we do in the U.S. will be with MLS, Don Garber and his team." The club plans to open three camps in the U.S. this summer and academies in the future that will be designed to identify talent and expand the brand. SUM Exec VP/Int'l Business & Special Events Will Wilson: "The main thing to understand is this is not just a tour."
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